The term "pie in the sky" originally meant to be a promise of heaven while continuing to suffer through living in the material world. It was coined by Joe Hill in a song written by him in 1911. Joe was a Swedish-born itinerant laborer who migrated to the United States in 1902. The Web site phrases.org.ukdescribed his radical songs as he fought for labor organizations. "The phrase appeared first in Hill's 'The Preacher and the Slave', which parodied the Salvation Army hymn 'In the Sweet Bye and Bye'. The song, which criticized the Army's theology and philosophy, specifically their concentration on the salvation of souls rather than the feeding of the hungry, was popular when first recorded and remained so for some years."
You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay,
You'll get pie in the sky when you die.
Today, it can allude to many things, such as asking for more than you may end up with. You ask for the sky and end up with pie...
TO CONTINUE READING, PLEASE CLICK HERE
